I anticipate this will be a lively session. Work is already underway on the state's spending plan. As you read in my last correspondence, the Governor has released his proposal and it is the possession of the House, where that body is preparing a budget to send to the Senate. As that process continues, there are many more issues and legislation being vetted in both chambers. I anticipate this 60-day or long session will be quite interesting as we address many pressing matters that will require much thought and debate.

To prepare for my work ahead, I asked for your input in my end-of-the-year questionnaire on some of the topics that we will look at this session. Many of you complied with my request and I received more than a thousand responses to my questionnaire. Thank you for replying and sharing your viewpoint. Having you respond signified to me that you are engaged in the process and are committed to seeing Kentucky move forward. Your input is very important to me and I am very grateful that you took the time to communicate your opinions. I value what you think and will let it guide me in the days ahead.

Do you support legislation to reduce the filing fee for felony expungement from $500 to $200? Yes - 74% No - 18% Unsure -- 6% No Answer - 2%

Do you support legislation to abolish the death penalty and replace it with life imprisonment without parole? Yes - 49% No - 32% Unsure - 16% No Answer - 3%

Do you support re-establishing a program for kinship care to provide a more permanent placement with a qualified relative for a child who would otherwise be placed in foster care due to abuse, neglect, or death of both parents? Yes - 87% No - 1% Unsure - 9% No Answer - 2%.

Despite many changes in our revenue needs and the fundamentals of our economy, our current tax system has been mostly unchanged since the 1950s. Would you support reforms to modernize our tax code if it also generated additional revenue? Yes -- 81% No -- 7% Unsure -- 9% No Answer -- 3%

Should the General Assembly require employers to provide time and space for mothers to express their milk? Yes - 72% No - 14% Unsure - 11% No Answer - 3%

Do you support legalizing the use of medical marijuana for medical and palliative or end-of-life care and allowing doctors to write prescriptions? Yes - 89% No - 5% Unsure - 3% No Answer - 3%

Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational use for those age 21 and older as a source of economic development and revenue to pay down the state's long-term pension liability? Yes - 58% No - 28% Unsure - 11% No Answer - 3%

Do you support requiring pawnbrokers to record daily transaction information and also to provide the information on an online service accessible by law enforcement agencies? Yes - 71% No - 7 % Unsure - 19 % No Answer - 3 %

Should Kentucky prohibit the use of a drone to capture an image of privately owned property or the owner, tenant, or occupant of such property without consent? Yes - 63% No - 13% Unsure - 19% No Answer - 5%

Do you support participation in a public-school, interscholastic, extracurricular activity by a home-school student? Yes - 54% No - 27% Unsure - 16% No Answer - 3%

Would you support reforms to modernize our tax code if it also generated additional revenue? Yes - 74% No - 5% Unsure - 18% No Answer - 3%

If tax modernization requires a change in the state's sales or income taxes, would you support expanding the base to include services (such as dry cleaning and physician fees) rather than increasing sales or income tax rates? Yes - 38% No - 31% Unsure - 28% No Answer - 3%

Would you support a sales tax increase from 6 percent to 7 percent in order to help relieve the state's current pension crisis? Yes -- 60% No -- 26% Unsure -- 11% No Answer -- 3%

Would you support a constitutional amendment to permit local governments to submit to the voters a new, time-limited sales and use tax to fund a specific local project? Yes - 48% No - 23% Unsure - 25% No Answer - 4%

Do you support requiring a person testifying before the General Assembly to take an oath "to tell the truth" prior to giving testimony? Yes - 86% No - 5% Unsure - 7% No Answer - 2%

Should high school seniors be required to complete instruction in financial literacy, developed and implemented by the Department of Education, prior to graduation? Yes - 74% No - 9 % Unsure - 14% No Answer - 3%

To improve access to the polls by members of our military, do you favor allowing military voters to return their completed ballots via e-mail? Yes - 61% No - 18% Unsure - 18% No Answer - 3%

Do you support a statewide smoking ban in public places? Yes - 75% No - 17% Unsure - 5% No Answer - 3%

Should electronic cigarettes be included in a smoking ban? Yes - 68% No - 17% Unsure - 10% No Answer - 5%

Do you support outlawing the use of all tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, on elementary, middle, and high school campuses as well as on school buses? Yes - 90% No - 7% Unsure - 1% No Answer - 2%

Do you support drug screening or testing for public assistance applicants and/or recipients? Yes 43% No - 44% Unsure - 11% No Answer - 2%

Do you favor allowing the people of Kentucky to vote on a constitutional amendment concerning expanding gaming in Kentucky? Yes 74% No - 12% Unsure - 11% No Answer - 3%

Do you support expanded gaming (casino gaming) in Kentucky with the first decade's proceeds providing hundreds of millions of dollars to pay down the state's long-term pension liability? Yes 66% No - 15% Unsure - 16% No Answer - 3%

Do you support capping the interest rates these lenders can charge and imposing penalties for violating the caps? Yes 92% No - 2% Unsure - 3% No Answer - 3%

Do you support legislation that would ban talking on a handheld cell phone while driving? Yes 56% No - 29% Unsure - 12% No Answer - 3%

Do you support requiring motor vehicles to allow bicyclists three feet when passing them on roadways that do not have a bicycle lane? Yes 59% No - 17% Unsure - 20% No Answer - 4%

To keep drivers from having their licenses expire, do you think this practice of reminding them that their licenses are about to elapse should be restored? Yes - 70% No - 19% Unsure - 8% No Answer - 3%

Would you support allowing Kentuckians to carry concealed firearms without a license? Yes -10% No - 84% Unsure - 3% No Answer - 3%

Do you support a bill that would make it a felony to perform an abortion in Kentucky? Yes - 14% No - 75% Unsure - 7% No Answer - 4%

Do you support establishing a tax credit to promote investments in small businesses in rural communities? Yes - 62% No - 12% Unsure - 22% No Answer - 4%

Should a student be withheld or offered an alternative lunch if the student has a longstanding unpaid bill? Yes - 18% No - 59% Unsure - 19% No Answer - 4%

Would you support allowing students to enroll in the school nearest to their home, except in cases in which there are academic or skill prerequisites for attendance in the school? Yes - 61% No - 11% Unsure - 24% No Answer - 4%

Should candidates for statewide office be required to file three years of income tax returns with the Registry of Election Finance and require that the statewide candidate's federal income tax be filed with the Registry of Election Finance before the Secretary of State or county clerk may place the candidate's name on the ballot? Yes - 75% No - 12% Unsure - 10% No Answer - 3%

Do you support a court-supervised treatment program for veterans, who may be struggling to transition to civilian life and suffering with mental health problems and substance abuse, rather than incarceration? Yes - 88% No - 2% Unsure - 7% No Answer - 3%

Do you support raising the state minimum wage? Yes - 77% No - 13% Unsure - 7% No Answer - 3%

Do you support increasing the state minimum wage to $8.20 an hour this year with increases each year until it reaches $15 in 2025? Yes - 65% No - 20% Unsure - 11% No Answer - 4%

Would you be in favor of an in-person early voting system in Kentucky that would allow voters to cast their ballot (at their own convenience) at the County Clerk's office three weeks preceding the established election date? Yes - 75% No - 13% Unsure - 8% No Answer - 4%